Impressions of Woodburn (Portland, Salem, Keizer: middle-class, condo, crime)

[Krystle]

Yesterday I want explorin' and made it out to Woodburn. I'd been there for the tulip festival and I wanted to see the town.

What was most surprising is how much of a Mexican influence there is in Woodburn! Every other store had a Spanish name. It was like little Mexico. I'm guessing this is related to Woodburn being surrounded by farmland. BUT...the town was still nicely kept. There was no trash, no broken cars on the front lawn, no shady people hanging out on the corner. It felt SAFE and CLEAN.

Has anybody been to or lived in Woodburn? Did you get the same impressions I did?

[bobmulk]

I grew up in Woodburn. As far as I'm concerned, it's a ghetto. Downtown is disgusting with bums hanging around on all the street corners. Highway 99E through town is gross south of Hardcastle Street with the cruddy businesses. That little shopping center by the new Goodwill is pathetic and always half empty.

There's some nice areas like Tukwila. The factory outlet mall is nice--if all you do is shop. Personally, I think Woodburn is a slum. The people I grew up with who lived there have left and most will never go back. I personally would rather live under a bridge.

[Krystle]

Interesting! I didn't see any bums when I went. And it didn't look like slums. But where I grew up, slums meant there was garbage on the street (sometimes including syringes or condom wrappers) and the bums sat against walls with cups in their hands and you could smell them from about 15 feet away. All I saw were Mexican stores and a few Hispanic men standing around and talking--no garbage, no smelly people. Your definition of "slum", "disgusting" and "ghetto" might be totally different than mine. Woodburn wouldn't be my first choice, but I'd choose it over the south Bronx any day.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Krystle

Interesting! I didn't see any bums when I went. And it didn't look like slums. But where I grew up, slums meant there was garbage on the street (sometimes including syringes or condom wrappers) and the bums sat against walls with cups in their hands and you could smell them from about 15 feet away. All I saw were Mexican stores and a few Hispanic men standing around and talking--no garbage, no smelly people. Your definition of "slum", "disgusting" and "ghetto" might be totally different than mine. Woodburn wouldn't be my first choice, but I'd choose it over the south Bronx any day.

Native Oregonians have a very different definition of slum than people from larger cities. Coming from the Chicago area myself, we don't have slums out here. Poor areas yes, but nothing like the big metro areas. It's a matter of perspective.

I think if Bob had visited Cabrini Green in Chicago wearing his bullet proof vest, before it was demolished, I think he would think Woodburn was looking pretty good.

[bobmulk]

Silverfall is right...I'm basing my evaluation on my experiences as a native Oregonian. We really don't have slums here. The term can mean different things. I find Woodburn dirty and gross. Crime is very high and the schools suck--much different when I went there back in the 60's/early 70's.

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by Krystle

Yesterday I want explorin' and made it out to Woodburn. I'd been there for the tulip festival and I wanted to see the town.

Somewhere along I-5, I think near Woodburn, are the iris farms. If you haven't done so, you've got to see them when they're in bloom. It's quite an impressive sight to see.

[Krystle]

Originally Posted by bobmulk

Silverfall is right...I'm basing my evaluation on my experiences as a native Oregonian. We really don't have slums here. The term can mean different things. I find Woodburn dirty and gross. Crime is very high and the schools suck--much different when I went there back in the 60's/early 70's.

Yep, it's all relative. The south Bronx is probably heaven in comparison the real slums in third world countries. Either way, too bad about Woodburn having not so great schools, and the crime. It reminded me a lot of towns I saw in New Mexico--a strong Mexican influence, but not trashed up like many of the ethnic neighborhoods I saw in NY.

[Krystle]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

Somewhere along I-5, I think near Woodburn, are the iris farms. If you haven't done so, you've got to see them when they're in bloom. It's quite an impressive sight to see.

YES. I must go...soon. I see the irises in bloom on people's properties and they're gorgeous. Keizer and Silverton are right next door, with Schreiner's and Cooley's iris farms (respectively). I tried going once but couldn't find my way to the farm. I've got that and the rose festival on my list.

[kavaXtreme]

Saw this and had to jump in. I'm going to have to disagree with Bob on this one. I think Woodburn is a great place to live.

There are certainly older, poorer neighborhoods around (like you'll find anywhere), but it's a stretch to call Woodburn a slum. Woodburn has it's middle-class and luxury home developments too, and housing prices are a whole lot better here. But I especially prefer living in Woodburn to a Portland suburb for the greater natural beauty (and less pollution).

Woodburn has easy access to Salem and Portland, any major stores you might like (plus the outlet mall), constant new commercial development, 2-3 golf courses right in town, etc, etc.

And the crime? Probably a stretch to call it "very high." All depends on which areas of Portland or the state you choose to compare with.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Woodburn's got a lot going for it in my books.

[LB-Basket-Lady]

I live about 15 minutes from woodburn in a neighboring city. Woodburn is awful and I really don't like going there unless it's to the outlet mall.